Last night in my Small Group Connection (Asbury’s Small Group) we were talking about the end of Galatians 2.  In that passage it talks about how if we can earn salvation through our works or through following any law, then Jesus Christ died for nothing.

And we talked a little bit about the fact none of us are righteous.  None of us.

Just because we come to church, or pray, or read our Bible, or serve, or give, or “do” anything, these things don’t make our righteous, these things don’t save us.

Jesus saves us.

In fact, I argued that those of us that are Christian are actually a little more unrighteous than others. Because we KNOW right from wrong. We KNOW what we should do and not do. And we choose to wrong.  We choose sin. We know right from wrong and we choose wrong.

We know better. And we don’t do better.

So, as Christians today, we need to be careful. Be careful judging others. Be careful thinking you are righteous. Be careful thinking you are better.  Be careful thinking you are holier.

Listen to what happens today in Mark 2:

Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Let us not be like the religious leaders, who saw themselves as “better” than others. Let us realize today that we are in need of a doctor. That we are in need of a savior. That our sins are as great as anyone else’s out there.

And He loves us anyway. He loves us in spite of our sin.  And let us live a life seeking after Him as a joyful response to His mercy and grace.

Let us be careful that we never think that we are “better than” others. We are simply saved by grace through faith, so none of us can boast.  Let us live a joyful life in response. And let us seek to love others as Jesus loved us.

None of us are righteous, no not one. Thank God Almighty for grace, mercy, and salvation. May we show to others that same grace that Jesus shown to us.

Let us be careful to never become like the Pharisees.